Combined hobby-horse and invalid&#39;s chair.



No. 656,738. Patented Aug. 28, I900. A. J. BRANHAM.

CQMBINED HO BBY HORSE AND INVALIDS CHAIR.

(Application filed New. 21, 1899.) LNO Model.)

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No. 656,738. Patent ed Aug. 28, I900.

} A. J. BRANHAM. COMBINED HOBBY HORSE AND INYALIDS CHAIR.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN J. BRANl-IAM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

COMBINED HOBBY-HORSE AND INVALIDS CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 656,738, dated. August as, 19001]. Application filed November 21, 1899. Serial no. 737,786. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, ALVIN J. BR'ANHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Hobby- Horse and InvalidsGhair; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. My invention relates to improvements in wheeled vehicles for the use of children and invalids, the object being to provide a simple and novel construction of vehicle embodying a wheeled frame or carriage carrying a hobbyhorse, invalids rocking-chair, or an analogous rocking device, with mechanism operated by the rocking motion thereof to propel the vehicle.

To this end the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vehiole embodying my invention, showing the rocking device in the form of a hobby-horse. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing a rockingchair substituted for the hobby-horse to adapt the device for use by invalids. Fig. 3 is a front view of the vehicle as constructed in Fig. 1. hobby-horse removed. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing modified forms of gearing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents a wheeled carriage or frame, which may be of any approved construction, but, as shown, consists of two parallel side bars or beams 17, connected at suitable intervalsby transverse brace-mods c and at the front by two forwardly-extend ing convergent arms cl, carrying at their outer ends a steering 'head' e. lVlounted in this head is a shaft or spindle f, carrying at its lower end a steering-wheel g and at its Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the upper end a rearwardly-projecting handlever h, by which the shaft and wheel may be turned to steer the vehicle. The frame is mounted upon wheels 1', rigidly secured to the ends of a rotating drive-shaftj, extending transversely across the frame and journaled therein. vA platform of wood or metal v ispreferably secured to the upper surface of struction for the amusement of children, the

figure of a horse or other animal (denoted by the letter B) may be applied to the rockers, as shown in Fig. 1, or if it is desired to provide a vehicle in which the rider or occupant may sit and repose comfortably and also propel the vehicle from place to place at leisure a seat 0 may be used. The vehicle may be thus adapted to serve as an easy and comfortableinvalids chair which'maybe propelled by the occupant without undue exertion and whenever desired.

The'mechanism for communicating motion from the rockers to the drive-shaft j comprises a rock-shaft m, mounted to oscillate in bearings upon the upper ends of standards 0, rising from the bars or beams 17, and having an offset or crank portion 171. To this crank portion is centrally connected a rocking arm or lever 19, pivoted at one end to the front transverse brace Z of the rockers and carrying at its opposite end a depending pawl or rack bar q, adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel j, fixed upon the shaft j. From this construction it will be seen that as the rockers move up and down the lever 19 will rock in a vertical plane upon its fulcrum (the shaftm) and in so doing will vertically reciprocate the rack-bar, which in its upward movement will turn the gear jand shaft j, and thus propel the vehicle forwardly. lhe function of the crank portion of the rock-shaft m is to form a shifting fulcrum for the lever 10 to allowthe latter to havelimitedlongitudinal play to compensate for the variations in position due to the up-and-down movements of the front ends of the rockers. When the front ends of the rockers move downward, it will be apparent that the arc described will require a limited forward movement of the lever and that,'on the contrary, a reverse or backward movement of the lever is necessary when the rockers move upward. This change in position is efiected through the action of the crank portionm of the shaft m, which crank portion oscillates or swings back and forth upon the up-and-down movements of the forward ends of the rockers. It will also be apparent that as the rear end of the lever moves upwardly the lower toothed end of the rack-bar will move forward and upward and engage and turn the ratchet-wheel and that a reverse movement of the rack-bar will take place when the said rear end of the lever moves downward.

The gearing may be modified, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, without departing from the spirit of the invention. In Fig. 6 a countershaft 1' is journaled in the side bars b and carries a pinion s, which meshes with a coggearj on the shaftj. The counter-shaft is also provided with a crank portion 25, to which the rocking arm 19 is operatively connected. In Fig. 7 the counter-shaft and gear on the drive-shaft are dispensed with, and in lieu thereof said drive-shaft is formed with a crank portion a, with which the rocking arm is operatively connected. The operation with these constructions will be apparent.

It is to be understood that the term rocker employed in the claims is intended to include any preferred form of rocking device constructed as herein shown or otherwise.

The drive mechanism may be duplicated at the rear of the device, if'desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A wheeled vehicle of the character described, having, in combination, a'frame or carriage, a drive-shaft journaled therein and carrying drive-wheels, a rocker mounted on the frame, a rock-shaft also mounted on the frame and having a crank portion, a rocking lever connected at its front end to the rocker and mounted centrally upon said crank portion of the rock-shaft which forms a shifting fulcrum therefor, and connections between the rear end of the lever and drive-shaft for communicating motion to the latter, substantially as described.

2. A wheeled vehicle of the character described, having, in combination, a frame or carriage, a drive-shaft journaled therein and carrying drive-wheels and a gear, a rocker mounted 011 the frame, a rock shaft also mounted on the frame and having a crank portion, a rocking lever connected at its front end to the rockerand mounted centrally upon said crank portion of the rock-shaft which forms a shifting fulcrum therefor, and a rackbar pivoted at its upper end to the rear end of the lever and having its lower end adapted to engage and operate said gear, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN J. BRANHAM.

.W'itnesses:

WM. DONER, MAYME COFFEY. 

